375 years in the making at First Parish of Norwell

Longer than there has been a town called Norwell, the institution now known as the First Parish of Norwell has been a prominent feature of the community and region.

Celebrating its 375th anniversary this week, First Parish has a storied past, integrally tied to the history of the town it calls home.

Though the parish is among the oldest institutions in town, from its inception the parish members have prided themselves on their social liberalism. Over the course of the church's history, its pastors and congregation have led the charge on issues from abolition to women's rights to LGBT rights.

In 1642, following a disagreement with the pastor of the First Parish of Scituate over whether it was appropriate to perform baptisms through full immersion in the North River, rather than simply by the sprinkling of water, a group of parishioners split off and founded the Second Parish of Scituate.

This congregation would become the First Parish of South Scituate when the towns separated in 1849, and finally the First Parish of Norwell when the town’s name was changed to Norwell in 1888.

The current meetinghouse on River Street, built in 1830, is the fifth structure the parish has called home, and was built for $4,650 using funds generated by the sale of the pews that still fill the space.

First Parish has been a significant presence in the community since its founding, often in official ways. Until the 1930s, the Town of Norwell paid a portion of the minister’s salary, and until the 1970s the James Library, still owned by the parish, was the town’s public library.

The Unitarian Universalist congregation began celebrating its anniversary in October with numerous events, starting with an organ concert featuring Heinrich Christensen, the music director of King’s Chapel in Boston.

The church also welcomed the community to an old-fashioned harvest picnic in October, a holiday fair in November, and a Jingle Mingle social on Christmas Eve.

This Sunday, Feb. 5, First Parish will officially celebrate the 375th anniversary with a service and reception.

In March a re-enactor from Plimouth Plantation will share what it was like to be a woman in New England around the time of the parish’s founding with “A Visitor from Plimouth Plantation, 1624.”

The year-long celebration will conclude in May with a “Taste of 1642” dinner.

Reverend Lise Adams Sherry, First Parish’s minister, has previously worked in Illinois and Oregon. For her, there's been many surprises that have come with serving a church with such a long history.

“When we came for the interview, my husband and I got to go look at the parsonage,” she said. “What still sticks out for me is when they took us down into the old basement, which was made with these large stones. The fact that this parsonage was built 10 years before the American Revolution -- both my husband and I were in awe to be living in a house that was created before we were the United States of America. We tell our friends that back in Oregon, and their jaws drop to the floor.”

Another aspect of this historic church that came as a surprise to her: the pews.

“All of the other congregations I’ve served, they don’t have pews,” she said. “They have chairs that you can link together and are easily movable.”

While the traditional structure of this New England meetinghouse might not fit the norm of a Unitarian Universalist Church, with rigid pews complete with doors and an ornate pulpit, Sherry sees that mix as a highlight.

“The sense of history and tradition is really cool, and how to mix that with some new things has been really interesting too--to see what the congregation is willing to do and what they’re not willing to do,” she said. Some of the things she’s tried out since arriving at the parish in 2015? Dancing in the aisles and holding hands during the final benediction, holdovers from her more laidback days in previous parishes.

Continuing to maintain a presence in the community, even while officially separated from the town, is a matter of priority for Sherry and her congregation, whether by holding their various 375th anniversary celebrations, all open to the public, or by co-hosting events with other faith communities in the town, like the recent vigil for gun violence, or an annual service on Sept. 11 honoring first responders.

Dexter Robinson, the church clerk, said being an active part of the community is vital to the parish’s future success.

“One big challenge, not just for this church but churches in general, church memberships are declining,” he said. “Trying to get the word out in terms of what we do, in terms of the community and the support system and the family and a spiritual center is one of our challenges, and how to grow the membership.”

“Unitarian Universalists aren’t very evangelical, because of their intellectual bent at times,” Sherry said. “We’re not always very good at tooting our horn, but that’s one of the things we’re trying to be better about.”

Proudly displayed in the meetinghouse is a rainbow flag, showcasing the parish’s commitment to being a welcoming community. Unitarian Universalists have been conducting services of union for gay and lesbian couples since 1984.

“There is more emphasis on social action, because people really want what they’re coming here for to be relevant,” Sherry said. “Especially for Unitarian Universalists, there’s a whole big instigation to make the world a better place. It’s not just coming and listening about scripture.”